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UEFA has started an investigation into the incident that occurred after the Champions League round of sixteen second leg match between clubs from and Milan, where players from both teams got involved in fights and scuffles, and a decision should be made at the disciplinary committee meeting on March 22nd.
The winner was not determined in the second leg match on Tuesday – the game ended goalless – and since the teams drew 2-2 in the first leg, "Inter" advanced to the quarterfinals after eliminating "Valencia" due to scoring two away goals. However, the victory at the "Mestalla" stadium was overshadowed by the events after the final whistle.
It is not clear exactly how the incident started, but initially two defenders – Nicolas Burdisso from "Inter" and Carlos Marchena from "Valencia" – were at the center of it. The quarreling players got into scuffles, and then both players on the field and on the bench as well as coaches got involved in the argument.
The situation was further exacerbated by David Navarro from "Valencia"'s bench, who ran over and broke N. Burdisso's nose with a punch. This angered the "Inter" players, and several of them started chasing him around the field, while Julio Ricardo Cruz and Ivan Cordoba unsuccessfully tried to push the opponent.
The scuffles continued for about a dozen minutes and even moved into the locker rooms – Francesco Toldo, Luis Figo, and Esteban Cambiasso attempted to invade the hosts' locker room. With the help of security, the incident was eventually calmed down, but a little later the "Inter" bus parked outside the stadium was pelted with stones.
Once the passions calmed down, "Valencia"'s sports director Amedeo Carboni personally apologized to his "Inter" counterpart Ernesto Paolillo for D. Navarro's behavior, and Milan club president Massimo Moratti confirmed that a UEFA representative came to the locker room to talk to N. Burdisso and assess the situation.
"Inter" coach Roberto Mancini called D. Navarro a coward for his actions: "I didn't see everything myself with my own eyes because I went to the locker room first. The guys told me about the incident. He (D. Navarro) is a coward. I saw the footage and can't say anything more about a person who hits and then runs away."
D. Navarro himself apologized for his behavior: "I have never behaved like this before and will not do it again, I am very sorry and ashamed. I saw that they tried to attack a teammate and my nerves failed me. I regret this incident and want to apologize to everyone who was affected by my actions."
Defender Emiliano Moretti representing "Valencia" admitted to feeling ashamed of his teammates' behavior: "After the final whistle, I went to hug Roberto Ayala, but when I turned around on the field, I saw about 50 people. I didn't understand what happened and tried to separate people, but when I saw the footage, I realized it was completely absurd. Navarro is a completely normal guy, and I don't understand what happened to him. I am his teammate, but I cannot defend him well having seen what he did."
All the individuals actively involved in the incident are likely to face severe penalties, and "Inter" is facing particularly significant sanctions because the Milan team had already been warned in 2005 after an incident in the Champions League semifinal city derby when fans started throwing flares onto the field and even injured "Milan" goalkeeper Dida. At that time, "Inter" received a record nearly 200,000 euros fine and had to play four Champions League matches at home without spectators.
